How To Train Your Lover
by Jedi.Knight.of.Geekdom
Summary: UPDATED SUMMARY: What if How To Train Your Dragon was told from someone else's point of view? And what if that person just so happens to be Astrid? HTTYD, as seen through the eyes of our favorite blonde Viking.
1. Chapter 1

**_I don't usually like movies that don't do their book origins justice. But, mind you, I haven't read "How To Train Your Dragon," so it's a little one-sided. I did think it was a good movie, it's even one of my all-time favorites now. And, as every good fanfiction author knows, you must write a fanfiction for every good story, whether it's just in your head, on a computer, or on a notepad._**

**_I decided to write one about one of the best ships ever, and why not? Astrid is kickass, while Hiccup is absolutely adorable. But I'm writing it from Astrid's POV, just so I can make this interesting. Make sure you put any questions/concerns/helpful hints in the comments. Trust me, if anyone needs them, _I DO_.  
_**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, blah blah blah...you know the drill.**  
_

Mjirna gave a joyous war cry as a roar rang out from outside the house. Astrid, her teenage daughter, sat up ramrod straight in her bed. As she registered the noise and it's origin, her reflexes took over and she threw on her traditional armor, all the while smiling fiercely. The breastplate she wore was slightly constricting, but it showed off a figure she had gained from years of her father's training_...__dragon training._ And tonight...tonight might be her chance to finally fight!

Astrid dashed out the door, making a break for the the houses on fire. Her dark-haired father, Magnus, was out with the main guard that followed Stoik, the chief of her small village of Berk, to fend off the beasts of the sky. Her fair-haired mother was off in the south part of town with the other townspeople, awaiting their assignments.

But Astrid's assignment was the water brigade. She, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, the twins, Fishlegs and Snotlout made up the brigade, all teenagers. They made sure the town never went completely up in flames from the attacks_._ She endured both the extreme heat of the dragon's shots and the frigid air of the night.

Though it was juvenile work, it was better than _Hiccup's_ job: he, the youthful village idiot, was stuck as an apprentice to the blacksmith, Gobber, while the rest of the village gained their glory and honor for a night.

"Astrid!" Gobber yelled above the turmoil. "Astrid, make sure this boy doesn't leave!" He gestured with his missing arm to the blacksmith's building.

"What?" She hadn't heard him clearly, and his gestures only confused her further.

_"Watch! Hiccup! For! Me!"_ He shrieked.

"What? Ugh!" Astrid turned and glared at his retreating back as he jogged off to join her father's brigade. She slammed her fist into a nearby wall, flipped her blonde hair out of her eyes, and stormed over to the blacksmith's shop, mumbling about the unfairness of her task.

Hiccup stood in the back, trying to force out a large wheelbarrow with a heavy, suspicious load. "Hiccup!" She shrieked, frightening him and sending three large axes clattering to the floor.

"Uh, oh, hey, Astrid, hi Astrid, hi, erm, Astrid..." He was frantically trying to push the wheelbarrow back behind him, as though he were hiding it. _He's so thin, _she thought randomly.

"_What_ the hell are you doing?" She said in her silvery, frigid voice. "You'd _better_ not be trying to leave - "

"No, no I – was, er, just organizing the - "

"Don't _lie _to me!" She wasn't in the mood for this, she should be _fighting!_ She was the daughter of one of the fiercest fighters this side of Hell! Not stuck in here, babysitting this idiot!

Astrid clutched his collar and lifted him six inches off the floor. She could tell by his shortness of breath that he wasn't in the mood for this either.

"Fine, Astrid, just – just go! You can go, I'm not gonna – _oooowww..._" She slammed him against a wall and sent small objects to the floor in a racket. "Why, Astrid, _why?_"

"Because _you_ deserve it!" Her face was two inches from his, angry and wild. At that moment, a flare burst just outside the shop and Astrid sprinted out the door, leaving Hiccup to slide to the floor on top of two mugs and a broken sheath.

But he didn't feel any of those things. He just let out a dazed sigh as he watched her retreating form.

Astrid took the nearest bucket of icy water and doused the small fire that threatened the little shop. She sighed, wiped her wet hair from her eyes, and walked back inside.

"Alright, you're safe _for now - _"

But upon her entrance, she noticed the emptiness of the room.

"_Dammit! _Son of a - " Astrid kicked the wall with a booted foot and ran out of the store.

She saw a lone figure on the cliffs just west of the village. "You are _so_ dead beyond belief!"

But before she took off, a cry behind her announced the presence of a -

_"Night Fury!"_

Night Furies: no one has ever seen one. If they have, they never lived to tell it. Night Furies never took livestock, never went out in the daylight...and _never missed._

A sonic flame burst about forty feet to Astrid's left, a trademark of the Night Fury. She ducked and ran off for the cliffs. But something strange caught her eye: the dark outline of the dragon suddenly convulsed in middair, rolled, and dropped behind the distant forests. Hiccup's shape was doing a rather hilarious celebratory dance...until she saw the shape of a Nightmare creep up behind him.

"Oh, dammit..." Astrid raced off towards his position and encountered several incredulous citizens and a very confused Gobber.

"Astrid!"

"Later!" She hissed and tore off up the hill.

The Nightmare hadn't set itself on fire yet, that was a good sign. But it _was_ snapping dangerously close to him as he ran screaming for the village.

She didn't know _what _possessed her, but she ran after him, picking up a stray set of bolas on the ground as she sprinted towards the two.

_Three, two...now!_

She whipped them over her head, then launched them at the Nightmare. Of course, it made it's mark, though it scared Hiccup off the path and sent him tumbling down the other side.

Astrid sighed, informed another citizen of the downed dragon's whereabouts, and ran off again. She seemed to be running a lot, and the perspiration forming on her brow became icy as she left the village outskirts.

"Hiccup!" She screeched angrily. No answer.

_"Hiccup!_

"...Hiccup?"

She was panicking now, though she was unaware of why. Still no answer.

_"HICCUP?"_ She shrieked, feeling the pressing loneliness as she floundered around in the darkness.

"Mmmmph..."

"Oh my God..." She sighed with unchecked relief as she followed the sound of his groaning. "Hiccup, you son of a - "

"Astrid?" He jumped up, a little clumsily, and jogged towards her.

She grabbed him by the ear and pulled him painfully towards home. "_You_ were supposed to stay in the shop, _you_ were supposed to do your damn job, and _you_ _were not supposed to run off!_"

"Ow, ow, ow, owww..."

Once they got back to the village, she tossed him through the front door of the shop. By now, the raid was finished and the village was righting itself while the sky grew light. Gobber walked back to the front door, giving the returned Hiccup a double take. He shrugged and closed the front window.

Hiccup left the shop five minutes later. Astrid was again on the bucket brigade, helping to choke the embers left smoldering. She turned and glared at him.

He ducked his head and walked slowly across the town square towards her. He quietly approached her.

"Uh, thanks, you know, for the whole search-and-rescue - "

She punched him in the shoulder. _Hard._ She was strong for such a petite girl.

"_Wha_ – okay, yeah, I deserved that - "

She slapped him across the face. "_That_ was for running off."

"Yeah, but I took down a Night Fury - "

She ignored him. "And _that_ - " - _kick_ - " - was for my troubles."

"Okay, _ow?_" He hopped on one leg, attracting glances.

She punched him again.

"Wha, what was that for? I took the other ones well enough - "

"_That_ was for good measure." She gave him one more burning glare before heading back to her hut.

**_Okay, okay, I _did _save Hiccup from total embarrassment. But it worked better for the storyline I have going! Okay, that's not really an excuse, but...  
_**

_**Well, comment with any criticisms/help you may have for me. I'd love to read them!**  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_**I'm back again! Yes, this story will be continued, and I actually have most of it finished. It needs a lot of polishing, but it will be ready soon.**_

_**This next chapter won't really make sense of why I put it in here in the first place, keep reading and the point will make itself clear in the end. It **_**is _kind of an awkward chapter, but hey, I thought I'd spice up the storyline with my own flair. _**

**_I haven't mentioned this before, but it's rated T because of some suggestive material I use and the ability I have to curse like a sailor. Well, Astrid has, anyway...  
_**

Astrid collapsed onto her cot, her cold limbs sore and tired. There had been another raid three days later, though she had been allowed to stay with the bucket brigade this time. The raid had gone on much longer than expected and she spent at least an hour and a half running back and forth with large, full, cold buckets, until finally she made it home just after breakfast. _I need some damn sleep..._

"Astrid!" Her mother called from around the back of the hut. Astrid sighed weakly and stood up to walk through the back door and into the little shack where her mother stood.

"Astrid, I have a little surprise for you!" Her mother pushed her out of the cheap shack and closed the doors behind her.

"Uh, alright -" She took a second to yawn. "- what's up?"

Mjirna took her by the arm and dragged her back into the house, into the back room. Well, it wasn't necessarily a room; it was a back _corner_ of the sturdy hut, closed off by a buckskin dressing screen. Within it was a large wooden bathing tub, but bathing in it had never really been a relaxing affair. There was only cold, cold water, unless one had a way of heating it. Which, somehow, Mjirna had conjured up. The tub was full of steaming water.

"Ta-da!" Mjirna gestured grandly at the tub. "Here you are!"

"Wh, what? How did you do this?"

"I used the stove, silly!"

The ability to use their humble stove to heat an entire tub of water escaped Astrid, but her mother was a handy woman, and this didn't exactly confuse Astrid much.

"For you! You've worked so hard lately, and your father says you've been doing so well with his training! I just thought you'd like some time to relax, and Magnus' given you a day off!"

Astrid sighed gratefully. "Oh, thank you!" She hugged her mother tightly, and with that her mother smiled, patted her on the cheek and left the "room."

Astrid grabbed a towel from the closet, quickly tore off her usual outfit of choice, and pulled her hair out of it's plait, smiling slightly the whole time. She slipped into the steaming water.

It was just the perfect level of warm. Her tense muscles began to unwind themselves as she stretched out in the rectangular, body-length tub, and closed her eyes. _Ohhhh..._

The house was completely silent. Her mother and father had left the house to do their duties. Magnus had left for a council meeting, while Mjirna had left for her baking job.

Suddenly, she heard a sound, much like that of someone rummaging through heavy things. Her parents shouldn't be home this early...

Astrid stepped out of her bath, threw her towel on, and pushed back the screen just enough to peek through. What she saw sent her heart fluttering and her cheeks turned red.

_"Hiccup!" _She stepped out of the dressing screen.

"Wha, Astrid? Astrid! Oh, uh, Astrid, I, erm..."

"What are you doing?" She was too tired to raise her voice, which meant she was also too tired to remember that she was clad only in a towel, her blonde hair hanging down in dripping ringlets.

"Uh, your mother told me to, er, pick up...the, the axe she needed, er, fixed..."

Astrid sighed. "Alright, well, hurry up!" She didn't notice that his vision was fixed on her uncovered legs and the top of her chest. She also couldn't tell by his face that she had to be the most fluidly graceful and beautiful woman he'd ever seen. _Stop staring, stop staring, stop staring..._

"Uh, yeah, I'll, uh, do that..." He quickly located the axe and struggled with it out the door. He poked his head in once more. "But if you need anything else-"

"Hiccup!" Astrid had turned towards the tub and almost taken the towel off. She jumped and covered herself.

"Okay, okay!" Hiccup bolted away from the hut.

Astrid took a deep breath and let it out slowly through her clenched teeth. Slowly, she slid back into the bath water, letting herself relax and slowly drift off into her daydreams. _Mmmm..._

She woke a half hour later from her daydreaming, still sitting in the lukewarm water. She slapped herself, realizing her daydreams had included Hiccup.

**_Didja like it? Didja? Didja?_**

**_Well, like I've said before: If you liked it, post a comment. If you didn't like it, post a comment. If you're bored as hell, post a comment. If you're...look, just do it.  
_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**The next two chapters that go up are not all that interesting, but without them the story would have a huge gap in it. If you know the storyline you can just skim through them. Chapter five, however, gets this party started. **_

A fierce joy emitted from Astrid as she strode through the town towards the arena, on her way to dragon training with her battle axe leaning upon her shoulder. Her father had informed her that she had finished his personal training and was ready to take on the public training of dragon fighting with the other young recruits. He was currently off on another expedition in an attempt to find the dragons' nest, along with Stoik's crew.

Upon entering the ring, Astrid and the rest of the bucket brigade took a wide-eyed look at the surrounding cliffs, seen through the screen of chains that encased the main center of the arena.

"I hope I get some serious burns," Tuffnut, the male twin, said in all seriousness.

"I'm hoping for some mauling, like, on my shoulder, or lower back." Ruffnut, his twin sister.

"Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it," Astrid commented sarcastically.

Someone else had entered the ring as well. "Yeah, I know, right? Pain, _love it,_" She heard Hiccup say drily.

"Oh, great, who let him in?" Tuffnut taunted. Astrid felt a strange need to come to his defense, but she pressed it down and turned away. A couple of the teens giggled and continued into the ring.

Dragon training was everything she had hoped for. Each day there was something new to learn and to apply to the ferocious and equally unique dragons themselves. She found herself exceeding past the expectations of the instructor, Gobber, and soon became frontrunner...while Hiccup mostly stayed in last place. Everything was perfect. Soon, the classes would be over and she could become a full-fledged _Viking_.

She would come home to the delighted and proud smile of her mother, who was always watching her performance in the ring and supporting Astrid fully. She gave helpful hints and prods in the right direction, always told her what she executed correctly, and told Astrid stories of her own time in the ring.

After a few days, though, something impossible happened. During a nasty fight with the two-headed Zippleback, Hiccup lost his water bucket, given to him to douse one of the two heads, the one used to start the fire that the other gas head ignites. As soon as the gas cleared, Astrid saw that the dragon was upon Hiccup, snapping it's horrid teeth dangerously close to him.

She almost ran to his defense, but Hiccup, squaring himself, lifted his empty hands, palms facing the dragon heads, and made pushing motions in the air against them.

"Back! _Back!_ Now, don't make me tell you again!" The Zippleback, incredibly, _obeyed_ him. They backed fearfully into the pen. Then, he reached under his vest and threw something into their pen before closing the large doors.

The class stood a ways from Hiccup. He turned, saw their incredulous faces, and quickly dashed out of the ring.

Astrid felt herself growing hot. She thought it was out of anger, and would have kept thinking it too...were it not for the way she ashamedly admired Hiccup's sudden burst of awkward bravery.

_**I told you it wasn't that interesting. The next one's a little better, and it's going up at the same time as this one. **_

_**Again, comment/review it. I thank you for the wonderful feedback, and for it I shall continue the story. Aren't you just ever so thankful? :D  
**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Here's the next chapter. Enjoy Hiccup's newfound ability to annoy the hell out of Astrid without getting his ass kicked.  
**_

Something was weird about Hiccup, Astrid knew that for sure. He was always gone after training, and once or twice she found him off in the woods with mysterious packages under his arms.

Every day, he found a new way to calm the dragons and force them back into their pens. Astrid was soon violently thrown from first place by his sudden success. He became wildly popular with the village as the size of the audience grew to record numbers; almost the whole town turned out to watch Hiccup tame the dragons.

Astrid, however, did _not _enjoy this as much as the village did. In fact, she did not enjoy it _at all_. Often, the matches ended with her throwing her axe into the nearest wooden object in a fury.

For a while, her status dwindled, while Hiccup's status grew. Even the young teenage girls were beginning to flutter their eyelashes at him, and the men, who had just returned from another unsuccessful dragon-nest-seeking trip, punched him brotherly on the shoulder.

Finally, the last match came. This was the most important; it would determine who placed first in dragon training, which entitled the winner killing their first dragon in front of the entire village.

"Stay _out_ of my way," Astrid hissed. "_I'm _winning this!" She pushed him away as he quietly muttered "Uh, please, by all means."

She sat crouched behind a small wooden barrier, one of many set up as obstacles in the ring. "This time," She whispered to herself. "This time, for sure!"

_Three, two...now!_

She let out a ringing war cry, jumped over two of the barriers, and charged the Gronkle...that was already subdued beneath Hiccup's hands.

"Wha-what?" Her beautiful, pale face turned a fiery shade of crimson. "No! You son of a _half troll, rat-eating SLUDGE BUCKET!"_ Astrid let fly a volley of angry oaths that would offend any non-viking within a three-mile radius.

"Uh, alright, well, I gotta get going, I'm late for - "

"Late for _what, exactly?_" Astrid trapped him with the top arch of her axe around his thin, paling neck.

"Quiet!" Came a loud call from the chief and Hiccup's father, Stoik, who was standing just behind the elder. She looked as though she was about to speak.

Gobber stood behind Astrid and Hiccup. He put his hook-hand over Astrid's head, to ask silently if Astrid had placed first.

Astrid straightened up, put on a fiercely defiant face, and...watched the elder shake her old, wizened face from side to side. _No._

The crowd let out a small, collective gasp. Astrid felt her composure slipping as Hiccup was pronounced the winner.

Gobber moved from between them to congratulate Hiccup. Astrid stood, eyes fixed to a small crack in the stone wall. "I, uh..." Hiccup started his apology, but never finished. The rest of the class hoisted him up onto their shoulders and took him out of the ring. Not even Snotlout noticed Astrid was missing.

_**Hope you at least enjoyed that. The next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it polished to perfection. In the meantime, why don't you review some more? ;)**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Well, BuieBomb was begging, so...here you are! **_

_**This is an interesting little chapter. Astrid's pretty pissed, and Hiccup is...well, Hiccup. Oh, and you get to meet Toothless! Isn't that exciting?  
**_

Astrid slipped off into the woods, eager to be alone. _Dammit, dammit, dammit! _I_ was supposed to win that! What did I do wrong?_

She sat herself on a large rock beneath the towering trees to contemplate this and picked up a small stone to sharpen the edge of her axe. With every stroke of her thin, pale hand she imagined bludgeoning the hell out of Hiccup...

She heard a voice in the distance, one that was painfully familiar and sent her heart racing, again for reasons unknown to her. Hiccup was calling out to a hidden friend in the trees. _Hmm, what a coincidence,_ she thought with a wicked smile.

"...leaving, we're leaving. Let's pack up, we're taking a little vaca – _aghh!_ What the – oh, uh, heeeeey, Astrid, what're you doing here?"

She finished the last stroke on her axe and threw the stone aside. "I wanna know what's going on."

"Wha, nothing's going o - "

"No one just _gets_ as good as you." She circled him menacingly. "Especially _you._"

"I, well, uh..."

"Start talking. Are you training with someone?" She asked, her azure eyes alight. "It better not involve _this!_" A pale hand grabbed the strange leather vest he wore, which startled him enough to push him back a few feet.

"Ahh, yeah, _this_ looks really bad," He explained as he gestured to the vest. "But I - "

She sighed and threw him to the ground, walking off towards the source of a strange rumbling sound in the distance.

"Alright, okay! I'm through with the lies...I've been making, er, _outfits!_ So, yeah, drag me back, it's time everyone knew..." He had jumped up quickly and grabbed her hand to press it against his shirt, allowing her to grab it and drag him back.

For that split second, Astrid's heart skipped a beat. Her hand, pressed against his chest, felt that he had built some muscle on his thin frame and she didn't want to take it away, but...

She wrenched his arm back on him and he collapsed to the ground once more. "Owwww, _why_ would you _do that?_"

She kicked him while he was down. "That was for the lies. And _that_ -" She thudded the butt of her axe down on his chest. "- is for _everything. Else._"

She looked up suddenly and went rigid. Two bright green eyes, like a cat's, were glaring at her between the trees, and a low growling was emanating from that spot.

"Astrid, Astrid? What's - "

_"Get down!"_ She tackled him as he tried to stand while the dragon charged at them. She stood and braced herself to do battle with the -

_"No!"_ Hiccup wrenched the axe from her with a surprisingly large amount of force and threw it away from her. She stood rooted to the spot as Hiccup worked his magic again, the midnight-colored dragon stopping immediately at the sight of his outstretched hands.

"She's a friend!" He said quietly to the dragon. It calmed slightly, and _nodded._ "You just startled him." One look at the dragon and she didn't think "startled" was the right word. It's eyes were narrowed, and she could _swear_ she saw straps leading to a saddle...

"_I_ startled _him?_" The dragon hissed menacingly. Her eyes went wide. "Who...who is _'him'?_"

"Astrid, Toothless," He gestured gently to his companion. "Toothless, Astrid." He gestured a little less kindly to Astrid, as though he were trying very hard to make it clear that Astrid wasn't to be harmed.

Astrid shivered slightly in her place, then turned and ran towards the village. _Oh, when Stoik hears of this -_

She hopped lightly over a rock...and never hit the ground. The next thing she knew the ground was racing away from her and the trees went rushing by. Looking up, she saw Toothless clutching her arm tightly and firmly, with Hiccup on his back.

She screamed for the life of her. "Oh no! Ohh, my...Go - "

Toothless dropped her onto a tree branch high above a small river rushing beneath her. She clung to the tree branch with all the strength she had.

Toothless, which she guessed was a somewhat elusive Night Fury, landed on the tip of the tree, bending it forwards enough to create a 90-degree angle. Astrid swung dangerously and screamed again.

"Astrid!" Hiccup called to her from the back of the Night Fury.

"Hiccup, get me _down from here!_" She shrieked. _Please please please please..._

"You _have _to give me a chance to explain - "

"I am _not_ listening to _anything_ you have to say!" The tree dipped slightly lower as Toothless folded his wings in completely, getting rid of all lift from the air. Compared to the dragon, that river was looking _very _welcoming...

"Then I won't speak!" Hiccup said calmly. "Just let me _show_ you..."

Astrid remained suspended in midair for a moment. _The river could be deep enough to jump...but do I really want to find out from this height? And Hiccup isn't dangerous...except for this _damn dragon_..._

"Please, Astrid..." Hiccup pleaded, stretching out a hand to her.

_Hiccup seems to be able to calm the dragon...maybe it won't be _so _bad..._

She finally decided to trust him and hoisted herself up onto the branch. It was sturdy enough to hold her weight and she tiptoed over to the waiting duo. Slowly, she held on to Toothless and climbed lightly on.

"Now...get me down from here." She adjusted herself so that she sat just behind Hiccup, then...reluctantly...wound her arms around his waist.

"Toothless, down. _Gently,_" He said calmly to Toothless, who unfurled his expansive wings enough to gain some lift from the passing wind. "See?" He said, turning to Astrid. "Nothing to be afraid of!" Hiccup's confidence was reassuring, and her tensed muscles relaxed.

And then Toothless took off.

_**Need I say more? :D**_

_**Keep following the story, there will be new installments soon. I have about five more chapters ready to go, but that might be a little much for one day, wouldn't it?  
**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Okay, because BuieBomb begged me to, and because her profile picture is adoooooorable...voila!**_

_**This chapter is really short, but pretty exciting. I love this scene, mostly because Hiccup has amazing wit and Astrid has amazing vocal chords. That, and the amount of responsibility that Hiccup suddenly shows himself to possess. But mostly the first two. :D  
**_

Toothless sped through the air like an arrow, spinning this way and that over the coastline. Astrid gripped Hiccup tightly around the waist. "No, no, no, no – _agghhh!_"

"Toothless, what's the matter with you?" Hiccup cried.

They leveled out, high enough to be soaring through clouds. "You see, he's not usually like this," Hiccup attempted to explain. "Oh no..."

Toothless had banked into a tailspin headed straight for sea-level. Astrid was screaming again, her head burrowed in Hiccup's shoulder. They went violently in and out of waves, sending cold water over all three of them. "Toothless, what are you doing? We need her to like us!" Hiccup said irritatedly.

The enraged dragon shot straight up again, then banked and spun wildly downward. "Aaand now he's spinning..." Hiccup said drily. Astrid had her eyes closed and was clutching on to Hiccup in a way that almost strangled him. "Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile!" Hiccup said loudly.

"Okay, I'm sorry! I'm – I'm sorry! Just...just get me off this thing!" She sounded like she was ready to cry. In fact, she _was _ready to cry. Hiccup had never seen her so distressed, which only made it worse when he realized it was slightly _his _fault.

Toothless leveled out suddenly, sending Hiccup face-first into Toothless' neck and Astrid pressing down painfully into his back.

And then that was it. Astrid didn't feel the pull of gravity shifting anymore, and Hiccup's abdominal muscles had relaxed. She didn't open her eyes immediately. _Please, please, _please_ don't be dead..._

She chanced a look...and was absolutely _amazed _at what she saw.

They were gliding peacefully through what looked like sunlit clouds; they had a golden touch to them that made them glow gently. Once she had seen that, she lifted her head from the nape of Hiccup's neck, loosened her arms, and unwound a leg that she had involuntarily wrapped around his waist.

And, for once in her life, she really _smiled._

_**Okay, so, uh...yep.**  
_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Lucky you; you get a two-for-one special! Okay, this was originally going to be two separate chapters, but they were exceedingly short and paired each other well.**_

_Oh my..._

She couldn't help it; she lifted a hand and raked the cloud, her other hand holding securely to Hiccup. Then, as they circled the lone cloud, she laughed and lifted both arms to touch it. Hiccup smiled and looked back at her, relishing in her joy as much as she was.

Astrid was absolutely speechless. Toothless angled upward and took them out on top of the clouds where the sun no longer reached at this late hour. The deep blue of the sky was suddenly pierced by the beautiful dancing lights that were the stuff of the most wonderful legends. And here, to _see_ them _firsthand!_

Hiccup hand unknowingly placed a hand over hers, which she had once more placed around his chest. His hand was gentle and sweet, adding intimacy to the moment they were sharing. They were no longer fierce competitors; now, they were just two equal Viking teens, sharing the sweetest moment ever to be known.

Toothless took them down a bit, until they broke through the cloud once more and soared high over the buildings of Berk. The sun had disappeared, leaving the village aglow with candles and torches.

"Ohh!" Astrid sighed contentedly. Hiccup smiled and stroked her hand gently with his thumb, sending her heart fluttering again. She pulled closer to him and hugged him tightly, setting her head on his shoulder. The warmth of his body didn't help to slow her heart rate, which she hoped he couldn't feel.

They glided above the village. _It looks so peaceful in the evening,_ Astrid thought with another deep sigh of content. This was _everything_ she'd ever wanted, without even knowing she wanted it. It was as though the world was opening itself to her and Hiccup, and _just _for them.

"Alright, I admit it: this is pretty cool." Astrid said with a small wave of her hand. "It's..._amazing_. He's amazing." She slid a hand down to pat Toothless on the side lovingly.

Suddenly, she realized something that killed her lovely mood. "Hiccup, your final exam is _tomorrow!_" She said nervously. "You know you're going to have to kill a - " She lowered her voice even further and whispered in his ear. " - kill a _dragon._" Her lips brushed accidentally against his ear and made him shiver slightly.

"Ughh, don't remind me – Toothless?" The dragon had just perked his ears up. The teens heard it too; a very strange sound, like high pitched warbling.

Toothless banked suddenly and flew much faster than the cruising speed they had gone at before. Now they were speeding through a dense cloud of mist. "Toothless, what's happening?" Hiccup asked nervously. Then they saw it.

Dragons. Hundreds of them. All heading in the same direction as Toothless, through the hanging mist. They all held within their claws their kill of some sort. Some held goats, others held sheep. Some even carried a couple fish...all except Toothless, Astrid noted with a pang.

"Get down!" Hiccup hissed. Hiccup leaned drastically forward. Astrid leaned down onto his back. Even in the situation they were in, Hiccup didn't exactly ignore the feel of her body pressed against his.

Suddenly, they were in a dark cave that one would not notice unless they actually flew in through the mouth, and alighted on a stalagmite. The cave had an eerie crimson hue, which made it much more frightening than necessary.

The incoming dragons dropped whatever food they had into the reddish pit beneath them. Suddenly, a very large, very powerful head emerged from the mist and snapped at a Gronckle that had skimped on the amount of food it had dropped. This frightened the other dragons enough that they flooded out of the caverns. The large dragon in the center saw Toothless sitting on the crag and made to crush him with it's powerful jaws.

"Toothless, time to get out of here!" Hiccup commanded and the Night Fury took off in one bound. With that they were off and out of the newly discovered nest and into the cool night air.

"Toothless, take us home." Even Hiccup sounded frightened; Hiccup, who had just given her the time of her life, who had just braved a crazed dragon to make sure _she_ wasn't afraid.

And this is what frightened her the most.

**_R&R, gimme some pointers...whatever you've got. :D_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_This has to be the shortest thing I've ever written...  
_**

**_Anyway, after this, things will get a bit more interesting. And hopefully, more engaging. They'll be full of not-in-the-movie goodness, so don't give up on me yet.  
_**

They landed in a clearing near where all this began. "It makes perfect sense," Astrid was saying. "It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers, and that's their queen! It controls them!" She slipped off Toothless excitedly and began running towards Berk. "Come on, let's find your dad!"

"No! No, no!" He slipped off Toothless and dashed after her, blocking her way. "No, they'll _kill_ Toothless! Astrid, we have to think this through carefully - "

"Hiccup! We just discovered the dragon's _nest!_ The thing we've been after since Vikings first sailed here! And you want to keep it a secret?" She scoffed. He was being so..._irrational!_ "To protect your pet _dragon? _Are you _serious?_"

Hiccup gave her a long, hard look. In that moment, she saw him transform from the bumbling village idiot to the bravest Viking she'd ever met: his defiant stance, his deep eyes, his shaggy chestnut hair framed by a halo from the moonlight, all gave him a fierce and solemn look.

"Yes."

Her angry look melted to one of awe. _He's ready to fight for this dragon...I can't stand in his way._

"Okay." She said quietly. "Then what do we do?"

He turned away, grief etched in his brilliantly green eyes. "I don't know. Just...just give me until tomorrow, I'll figure something out."

She nodded and stared at the ground.

_Punch._ "That was for kidnapping me."

Hiccup rubbed his arm where Astrid had hit him and glared at Toothless. He gestured to her, but the dragon shook his head in annoyance and continued drinking from the little freshwater lake.

Hiccup sighed and turned away, toward Astrid. She quickly grabbed his shirt and kissed him on the cheek."That's for...for everything else," She stuttered. He looked at her incredulously, watching in slight amusement as her cheeks went a deep, attractive red.

With that she turned and sped off towards Berk.

* * *

Hiccup stood, rooted to the spot, as he watched Astrid dash away from him. He let out a longing sigh and rubbed his arm awkwardly. Toothless silently came up next to him and gave him a knowing look.

_ "Wh, what're you lookin' at?"_ He said, flustered.

_**Yeah yeah yeah, it was supposed to be **_**Astrid's _point of view...but come on, a moment like that? It was adorable, it had to be done!_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Okay, so here's a chapter that is...well, just read it, you'll see.**_

Astrid sped toward home. The cold, icy wind had not the slightest effect on her pale skin, or at least, any effect she noticed. She had this sort of warmth which comes from embarrassment that can keep one's cheeks red for hours.

She finally made it home. There had been a large party for Hiccup; the remnants were still at Stoik's house and barely noticed that he had been missing. In fact, it was a usual occurrence at feasts or gatherings to not notice Hiccup. She slowly tiptoed in through the front door of her house, so as not to wake anyone who may have been home.

She was cold, frightened, happy, tired, and yet she could swear she felt something else. Something -

"Astrid," Came a voice from the back of the hut. It was deep and low, one she recognized as her father's.

"Father?"

She hadn't seen him in weeks. He had been completely busy with the task of finding the dragon's nest and hadn't been home at all.

"Father!" She sighed with relief and went to the back of the hut to see him. It was very dark, but he had lit a candle or two and was reading in the back corner. "I've missed you, I - "

"Astrid, what happened?"

She stopped in her tracks. _"What?"_ She breathed softly.

"I saw your last test," He said simply.

Astrid's confusion continued. She had forgotten about her anger toward Hiccup, in favor of a more tender emotion, but she didn't think her _father_ would be angry. For that was certainly what was in his voice.

"I fought as well as I could - "

"How could you let him take that from you?" He raged.

"Dad, I _tried_ - "

"You can't just try!" He stood up suddenly, sending Astrid back a few paces. "The point I'm trying to make is that a Viking doesn't let someone like _that_ take away what they've been training for - "

"Dad, Hiccup isn't - "

_"Astrid Ingrid Mohrgun!"_ She had done it now; her father slammed his hand down on the table and put a hand over his eyes.

"Astrid," He began once his temper had cooled. "I trained you since _birth_. Everyone in our family at one point or another has won that match! 300 years of such a noble lineage!"

She looked at him, and didn't say a word. _That was why he wanted me to win...so what, now I'm a waste of time?_

Finally, she spoke. "Father, I tried my best. I did everything...Hiccup won, though. He...he's a very good fighter once - "

"Astrid, this is _Hiccup_ you're talking about!"

"Dad, I know! Look, he's...it's just..." She couldn't understand why she was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Look, Astrid, just...I just didn't exactly _enjoy _seeing you disgraced today."

"Do you think _I did?_" It was Astrid's turn to be angry. Their family also had a tradition of anger issues along with dragon-fighting glory.

"Astrid, I'm not kidding - "

"Dad, just listen to me!" She cried. "I know I lost! But, really, you've seen the way I fight! And I get it, I _should_ have won, but dad, it's just a title! It's something that nobody's gonna remember in three years except maybe _you!_ But you didn't train me just so I could get a title! You trained me because you wanted me prepared!" _Or so I thought..._

They both stood in silence, Astrid glaring at her father, Magnus staring at the floor. She was breathing heavily. Finally, when he didn't say anything, she stormed upstairs to her bedroom and closed the old wooden door.

The unfairness of the situation surprised her. Magnus wasn't an unfair man; in fact, he was one of the more clear-sighted ones in the village. But when he got into a rage...

And that was the other thing. He _never_ got a temper with her. He was very patient with her, he _always_ took the time to tell her he was proud of her...what happened? Is it really _her_ fault, had she messed up in the ring _that badly?_

_

* * *

_There was a quiet knock at the door. Astrid knew it was her father; there was no one else in the house. Did she _really_ want to speak with him?

She sighed. _Of course I do. It's my father..._

"Come in."

He pushed open the door. "Astrid...Astrid, you were right. I'm sorry." Her eyes widened. "Yes, yes, you were right," He continued. "I shouldn't act this way. It wasn't out of anger with you that I spoke. It was mostly surprise.

"You did fight well, I knew that. But I always thought that if you lost...that you would be angry as well. Not that you would..." He trailed off.

Astrid smiled to herself. "That I would be okay with losing to Hiccup?"

He grinned slightly and nodded. "It was very surprising the way you spoke of him. Like...like you really admired him."

Astrid shrugged. "Yeah, well...things, er, happened..."

Her father laughed and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure this conversation is for your mother to handle, but here's my advice: give those boys a good run for their money. Whoever runs the longest has my blessing...and sympathy."

Astrid gave him a look that didn't last long, She cracked a smile and nodded. "Okay, dad. I'll do that."

_**Up next: more not-in-the-movie-ness and angst. I'm sure that's what you ALL wanted.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hey guys, guess what? CHAPTER TEN. **_

_**Another short chapter, but a sweet one. What? I **_**had_ to throw in a scene like this. There hasn't been enough of them yet!_**_** Though I hope you enjoy... :)**_

Astrid awoke the next morning to an empty house. She smiled as she remembered the flight last night...and sprang out of bed when she remembered what today was.

She quickly threw off her night clothes, slipped into her underclothes, her shirt and pants, her shoulder braces, her heavily armored skirt, her boots, and finally wound her arms up in their braces. She did her hair up in it's usual plait and jammed her headband on.

_I've got to find Hiccup...but where?_

Hiccup wasn't at his house...Hiccup wasn't at the blacksmith's...Hiccup wasn't at the arena..._the forest!_

Astrid took off into the woods, and within five minutes her uncommon speed had brought her to the clearing. She saw Hiccup feeding Toothless about twenty yards away.

_"Hiccup!"_ She yelled, jogging towards him. "Hiccup, thank the Gods I found you..."

"Astrid..." He turned to her, and a pang pierced her heart as she saw his forlorn look.

"Oh, Hiccup..." She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. For a minute, she felt him just standing there. Then, he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. He was so warm, so firm...she didn't want to lose this moment.

"Astrid, I...I'm sorry."

_What? _He _was sorry? About what?_

"Hiccup, what's there to be sorry about?" She whispered in his ear.

"Everything." He pulled away and put his hands on his hips, taking a deep breath and staring at the sky. Then...

"Everything. I...I pulled you into this. I didn't want to do that, but I...it just happened! And, yesterday..."

She stood there, gaping at him with wide eyes. His ability to remember her and _her _situation even in _his_ time of need startled her into a stunned silence.

"Oh, Hiccup, no..." She had never been at such a loss for words. Usually, she had a very good way with words, but seeing his face contorted in a mask of pain scattered her train of thought. "Hiccup, don't worry! Just...just focus on your match! I'm not the important part right now!"

Astrid didn't know how to comfort him. _This boy...this boy is going to have to kill something? No, not him...it can't be, it's just Hiccup!_ Finally, all she could do was walk up to him once more, hug him tightly, and whisper "It's alright, Hiccup. Don't worry about me."

_You poor boy...all of this has been thrust upon you so quickly! _I_ wouldn't have been able to handle this, yet you...oh, you handle it so well! This isn't fair! _She couldn't believe it. Her emotions ran to the brim, from the anger and forgiveness of last night, to her annoyance and ..._oh, stop lying to yourself!_...and love of this boy, to her fear of what would come next, for surely there was something before them that neither of them were prepared for. All this mixed into her current sleep-deprived state.

He hugged her back, softly rubbing the small of her back rhythmically. Hiccup had never been a serious boy, but this side of him startled her. _Why is he doing that?_ She wondered at his touch.

Then she realized she was crying.

_**I'll get the next chaptah up tomorrah!  
**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**This isn't exactly a long chapter either...**_

_**Anyway, read it, review it, and read it again, just for good measure. :D  
**_

The whole town had turned out for the final exam. Hiccup stood in the little tunnel leading to the ring, Astrid right behind him. Neither of them said a word.

Stoik was giving a speech on how proud he was of his son. With every word of praise Hiccup's face darkened. Towards the end of his speech, Astrid put a hand on his shoulder.

"Be careful with that dragon," She said absentmindedly.

Astrid noticed the involuntary look he gave his father. "It's not the dragon I'm worried about."

"What are you gonna do?" It seemed like the simplest question in the world, but appropriate.

"Put an end to this," Hiccup said darkly. Astrid gave him a shocked look. "Look, I have to try! Astrid," He grabbed her by the shoulders. "If something goes wrong, just make sure they don't find Toothless!"

Astrid's eyes widened as she realized she may never see him again...alive. "I...I will. Just...promise me it won't go wrong!"

He bit his lip and looked straight into her eyes. He looked as though he was about to say something -

"It's time, Hiccup!" Gobber poked his head inside the tunnel. Hiccup gave her one last worried look and walked into the ring. "Knock 'em dead."

Astrid backed off as the door descended in front of her, barring the entrance, with Gobber beside her. Hiccup stood, ready for his opponent to emerge.

Three agonizing seconds later and the Nightmare burst from it's pen, already alight. Astrid gasped and gripped the bars of the door, her pulse racing and her head spinning. Gobber put his good hand on her shoulder, squeezed it, then went off to rejoin Stoik.

The Nightmare did _not _seem to be in a good mood. Astrid's knuckles went white as it circled Hiccup, snarling and threatening. The crowd cheered and his father looked expectant.

_How can they _cheer_? Don't they know what's at stake?_

The dragon leaped up onto the chains enclosing the arena and the fire it had conjured up was out. Hiccup had done it again, and this time with very little effort on his part. The dragon slowly and calmly made it's way down the side of the arena and padded up to Hiccup, who had dropped his axe and shield to the side.

"That's it, that's it..." She heard him mutter. He put up his hands and stood his ground, which subdued it further. The crowd hushed and whispered, and Astrid herself was confused. His fingertips were tantalizingly close to the tamed dragon's muzzle, which he held there. The air was tense and the crowd was silent.

"I'm not one of them," She heard Hiccup pronounce darkly. He removed the horned helmet he wore and threw it to the side, where it landed with a clatter.

_"What?"_ Astrid gasped. Stoik said something to Gobber beside him, who gave him a frightened look.

"Stop the fight," Stoik called loudly.

"No! I need you to see this!" Hiccup yelled. "They're not what we think they are! We _don't _have to kill them."

The crowd let out a collective breath and Astrid panicked. _This won't go over well, oh no, oh no oh no!_

"I said_ stop the fight!_" Stoik slammed the railing with his hammer, sending shock waves through the villagers...and the dragon.

It went through an instant transformation. Suddenly, it was angrier than ever and went bolting after -

_"Hiccup!"_

Astrid looked around and noticed an axe hanging on the wall nearby. She grabbed it, jammed it under the door and wrenched it upward, blade-side down. The door opened a small amount, enough for her to slide through.

The dragon was relentless; she finally picked up a hammer lying nearby. Astrid swung the hammer around and threw it at the Nightmare, where it hit and made a loud _thud._ "Uh oh..."

The Nightmare changed direction and took off after her. She skidded around a pile of rubble and slid far to the right.

"This way!" Stoik had thrown open another door and was waving the teens in frantically. Astrid was the first to make it, but Hiccup's way was blocked by a furiously shot fireball from the deranged Nightmare.

"No, Hiccup!" She screamed, much to Stoik's surprise.

Hiccup took off running, but tripped just before he could get away. The Nightmare's claws trapped him like a horrific cage.

_"No!"_ Astrid strained against the arm Stoik threw across her path. She struggled and managed to push him off just in time for one of the audience member's to scream something she _never_ thought would bring her so much relief:

_ "Night Fury!"_

_**I love ending chapters on a high note!**_

_**Wait...no I don't...**_

_**NOTE: Sorry guys, but vacation time is here. I won't have a chance to update for a week, but if I can get some internet action out there I'll be sure to post more!  
**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Since I'm going on vacation for a week, I decided that another chapter was in order. Enjoy this while I enjoy Massachusetts.**_ ;)

Three hours had passed after Toothless had fired his way into the ring, saved Hiccup, and gotten captured in the process. Astrid had overheard Stoik disowning his son enough that she now knew Hiccup had nowhere to run. Stoik ordered that the ships be readied, the men themselves prepared, and Toothless to be bound and loaded aboard his leading ship to lead them to the nest.

Astrid walked up behind Hiccup, who was standing on a lone wooden deck built on a stone outcropping that overlooked the port.

_Come on, Astrid, work some magic...the only way he's going to do anything is with a few nudges in the right direction._

"It's a mess," She began. He kept his eyes on the blue waves beneath them. "You must feel horrible. You've lost everything: your father, your tribe, your best friend..."

"Thank you for summing that up," He said dryly. He let out one of his most pathetic sighs. "If only I'd've killed that dragon when I found him in the woods! It would have been better...for everyone..."

"You're right. Anyone else would've done it." Obviously, this was going to need a _lot _of nudging.

"So why didn't you?" Her question hung in the air for a moment. Hiccup looked as though he wasn't going to answer.

"Why _didn't _you?" She asked again.

"I don't know," He said quietly. "I just...couldn't."

"That's not an answer."

"_Why_ do you have such an interest in this all of a sudden?" He was getting irritated.

"Because I want to remember what you say _right now._"

"Oh, for the love of – I was a coward. I was _weak!_ I _wouldn't_ kill a dragon!"

She scrutinized his face, then suddenly realized something.

"You said _wouldn't_ that time."

"Oh, whatever!" He threw his hands in the air in a fury. "I wouldn't! I was the first Viking in three-hundred years who _wouldn't_ kill a dragon!" She stared at the floor as he turned away to hide his flushed face.

Astrid paused for a moment. Getting him _angry _wouldn't get anywhere, but the truth might...

"First to _ride _one, though."

She saw his composure slip. He had gotten her hint. "So...?" She prodded.

He sighed and turned to her. "I wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as I was..." He looked into her face and got the encouragement he needed. "I looked at him, and I saw myself."

She nodded and looked out to sea. "I bet he's really frightened now," She continued. "So...what are you gonna do about it?"

"Eh..." He shrugged. "Probably something stupid."

"Good, but, you've already done that."

His face suddenly lit up. "Then...something crazy!" He jogged off down the ramp that led to the village.

She smiled fiercely. "_That's _more like it!" And with that, they took off towards Berk.

* * *

Astrid led the rest of the class quietly into the arena. Hiccup was already there, staring at the door to one of the dragon pens in deep concentration.

"If you're planning on getting eaten," Fishlegs broke the silence. "I'd suggest the Gronckle"

Hiccup turned and grinned at the group. Astrid smiled proudly at her work in getting the teens together.

Tuffnut broke through the ranks first. "You were wise to seek help from the world's most _deadly_ weapon!" He said mysteriously.

"Uh..." Hiccup tried to look past him at the group of people ready to ambush him.

"It's me," Tuffnut added before getting shoved out of the way by Snotlout.

"I _love_ this plan!" He said loudly.

"But I never - "

"You're crazy!" Ruffnut spat, pushing Snotlout away. Then, leaning in very flirtatiously, _"I like that."_

Astrid narrowed her eyes and yanked her away by the helmet, much harder than necessary. Hiccup sighed in relief and gave her a shy smile.

"So," She brushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled. "What _is _the plan?"

_**So long, guys! I'll be able to post more if I can get internet, but if not you guys can survive without me. :D I'll be back around the 13th, maybe...**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Hello again! I'm back from Massachusetts and the story is back from the depths of my computer. I hope you enjoy this chapter, as it is one I worked rather hard on (yes, I said **_**hard on_...perverts. Or does that just make me one? ... Shut up! This story was rated T for a reason!)._**

**_So, anyway, read, enjoy, whatever you feel like. I'm polishing the rest of the story, as well as it's epilogue. Oops, did I let that slip? ;)  
_**

They were getting in _way_ over their heads, Astrid knew that. But it was hard to focus on the task ahead as she sat behind Hiccup, her arms around his waist. She felt safe and secure with him, something she never expected from the likes of Hiccup Haddock. They were astride a tamed Nadder and were speeding towards the dragons' infamous nest.

"We almost there?" Tuffnut called impatiently. He and his twin sister Ruffnut followed behind, each riding on either of the Zippleback's two heads.

"We should get there in about three hours," Fishlegs said matter-of-factly from his Gronckle.

"Shut up, dumbass, Hiccup said it'd only take us like twenty minutes!" Snotlout shouted from astride the Nightmare.

Astrid giggled. Although their class was a strange lot, she couldn't help but think that they also had a variety of useful strengths, from Fishlegs' ability to memorize (mostly) crucial facts to Snotlout's eager determination.

"Feeling okay, Astrid?" Hiccup turned his head towards her.

"What? Oh!" She hadn't noticed that as they entered the thick mist that she had tightened her grip around his waist. "Yeah, sorry."

He smiled nervously at her and faced forward again. She _had_ noticed Snotlout glaring at Hiccup's apparent way with women.

She felt her heart begin to race as the cliffs' outline loomed ahead. "Almost there!" Hiccup yelled from the head of the group. _May Thor help us..._

"Oh no," Hiccup breathed. Astrid followed his gaze and saw three ships from the Viking fleet up in flames, and another starting to catch on.

That wasn't half as frightening as the monstrous beast that attacked the fleeing Vikings now. The gigantic dragon ahead towered high over the ships and catapults positioned on the beach and seemed to be furious. Two of the catapults were crushed into piles of splinters.

The group of teens announced their presence with loud, triumphant cries of "Hey!" and "We're riding _dragons!_" The army, which had been fleeing to the other side of the island, instantly craned their necks skyward and saw the group waving and soaring.

Once they flew past the army and were out of reach of what had to be the Mother dragon, Hiccup ordered for them to hover in midair for their briefing.

"Alright, Fishlegs, give us the rundown on that thing!" He commanded. Astrid couldn't help but admire the way he could take control of such a heated situation.

"Heavily armored skull and tail, used for bashing and crushing," He said rapidly. They saw the effect of _that_ as it turned suddenly and bashed through another two ships. "Small eyes, large nostrils make it rely on hearing and smell!"

"That'll have to do!" Hiccup cut him off. "Snotlout, 'Legs, hang out in it's blind spot, make a lot of noise, keep it confused! Ruff, Tuff, find out if it has shot limits! Make it mad!"

"That's my specialty!" Ruff proclaimed, punching the air.

"No way!" Tuff yelled. "Everyone knows _I'm _more irritating! See!" He began making strange faces and ornery gestures.

Hiccup sighed audibly. "Look, just do what I tell you! I'll be back as soon as I can!" Hiccup steered the Nadder off in the direction of the ships, where the Vikings had chained Toothless, and Astrid gave an encouraging salute.

Once they made it they hovered above the ships, searching for the Night Fury. "There!" Astrid pointed to one of the ships on fire, in the midst of which was Toothless, struggling against the chains.

The Nadder banked and soared down low enough for Hiccup to slip off and jump down safely.

"Go, help the others!" He yelled over the roar of the fires. "I'll be back in a minute!"

Astrid nodded. It was painful for her to leave him in the midst of the suffocating flames, but she knew nothing would keep him from his best friend, and flew off.

She soared quickly towards the Mother Dragon and ordered the Nadder to open fire. It shot the Mother and got it's attention. "Good, _good!_" She said to the Nadder, though she doubted it would understand. She could see Snotlout and Fishlegs thwaking away on their shields to the annoyance of the Mother and, unfortunately, their mounts.

Fishleg's Gronckle was the first to lose control. It was thrown off by the sharp, piercing sound of metal-on-metal and dove towards the ground. The Nadder continued to bombard the Mother with fire, not necessarily enough to seriously hurt it but enough to get it riled up. Snotlout was the second to lose control as the Nightmare bucked him off onto the Mother's snout. He took his opportunity and charged at one side of it's face to blind it with his hammer.

"Yeah, now _that's_ a Viking!" Astrid called out encouragingly. Snotlout took his eyes off the Mother to smile at her.

_Dammit, where's Hiccup? We can't do this forever!_ But she wasn't exactly irritated; she trusted him enough not to do that.

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut! Get him off of there, we need him elsewhere!" She called to the twins as the Mother tried to shake Snotlout off. Tuffnut nodded, Ruffnut saluted and they were off.

Astrid saw a slim black figure dart up into the sky. _"He's up!" _She shouted triumphantly as Toothless took off near the inferno of fiery ships.

Astrid continued to attract the Mother's attention, sending fiery bolts at it's side and head. It began to come after her and the Nadder turned to fly away.

But they weren't getting anywhere. "Oh, what's wrong?" She turned and saw the Mother inhaling, pulling them inches and inches nearer to a fiery death.

"_No!_ Come, on, come on!" She kept looking back frantically, seeing that the Nadder's efforts were becoming fruitless. Her heart pounded painfully loudly in her ears. _No no no no no no! Oh -_

A high pitched wail had her whipping her head around just in time to see a dark figure speeding towards them. A blindingly bright blur shot from it into the side of the Mother's cavernous mouth and the explosion that ensued sent Astrid flying off the Nadder and downward toward the rocky coast.

She prayed and prayed that she wouldn't feel the pain of being killed by falling on the jagged rocks. Downward she tumbled -

Suddenly, she wasn't falling. She was speeding through the air, upside down, but very much alive. Something was gripping her left leg, and once she looked up to investigate she saw the underside of a Night Fury.

"Didja get her?" She heard a familiar voice ask from astride the dragon. Astrid looked towards the front of it and saw Toothless' familiar face look back to check. She smiled widely at her luck and waved happily at him. She could almost swear that Toothless smiled at her just before he lifted his head once more.

Toothless flipped her in midair so that he held her by the shoulders, then dropped her safely on a large rock.

"Go!" She cheered. Once she saw that they were off to do battle with the Mother, she turned and ran to join the Viking army.

_**Voila! Reviews, please?**_

_**Oh, by the way, I'm working on a story dedicated to my creative outbursts that just so happen to turn into a series of one-shots. Be on the look out for that/those if you'd like more not-in-the-movie goodness that I know you love so much. :D  
**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**This took me a while. I rewrote it twice. It isn't even that long.**_

_**But it's AWESOME.**_

_**Anyway, read it, tell me what you liked/disliked, or if this was just a total train wreck. Trust me, it probably is. 0.0**_

Astrid ran off towards the Viking army assembled about two hundred yards away. She scrambled easily over the rocks, but before she could cross the rocky coast the ground rumbled and she staggered. The rocks felt much sharper than she had expected.

She cried out as a rock jabbed her sharply in the stomach. Spitelout, one of the higher-ranking men in the Viking army, quickly came to her aid. She could see that she was not the only one who had lost her footing; several men nearby had stumbled and were picking themselves up off the rocks. "Astrid, duck!" Spitelout shouted.

The Mother Dragon had begun to chase after Toothless. It swung it's tail around dangerously close to the army as Toothless changed direction in midair. Astrid flung herself back onto the ground, missing the sweep of the Mother's tail by mere inches, strands of her hair being blown by the rush. She was attempting to avoid death, though the rocks hitting her blooming bruises weren't exactly much better.

Toothless and Hiccup had succeeded in getting the Mother airborne. Through the mist they flew, and a few moments later they had soared into the clouds, out of view.

"Astrid!" A rough voice called from the crowd. She stood up once more, ignoring the pain she was feeling like a true Viking, and turned to see both Stoik and her father making their way through the sea of bodies.

Astrid waved her arms high above her head, signaling to them her position. They hurried towards her.

"Astrid! Thank the Gods you're safe!" Magnus gathered her to him in a huge, suffocating hug. Once he let her go, Stoik put a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you," He said, bowing his head slightly. "Your actions will not be forgotten."

Astrid smiled proudly at him. "It was the least I could - "

The crowd behind them suddenly gasped as the sky lit up for a split second.

"Lightning?" Her father asked.

"No," She said quietly, shaking her head. "Must be - "

A roar from said cloud finished her sentence. Her heart thudded against her chest as though it would burst. _Come on, Hiccup..._ She trusted him, she _wanted_ more than anything for him to return victorious, but that dragon was huge...

A few moments passed in complete silence. Everyone on the beach had their heads turned skyward, watching in horror as the cloud repeatedly lit up like lightning. Astrid placed her hand worriedly over her mouth. "Oh, Hiccup, come on! Please..." She tapped her foot repeatedly, she kept a tight grip on the axe that hung from her belt...

Then a resounding roar startled the crowd out of their silence. The cloud was literally moving, as though the wind was stirring it, and a huge figure came speeding towards the ground. The Mother was disintegrating, burning from the inside, as it careened into the ground. A fiery explosion engulfed the Mother where it landed.

Astrid's eyes grew wide as she saw Toothless flying straight into the inferno...and she saw the thin figure of a human falling before him, into the fire.

_"No!"_ She screamed. _Oh, by Thor's hammer..._

She sped off towards the flames, which were already dying rather quickly. Her heart thudded, her lungs screamed, but she didn't care. She didn't even care that she was crying, which was very unViking-like, not to mention very rare for her. All that mattered now was her lost companion...and perhaps what had been lost with him.

_"Hiccup?"_ She shouted through tears. "Hiccup, _please..._"

Her vision was becoming blurred. In her confusion she tripped once more and landed next to a very dark rock...that had two vivid green slits in it. "Toothless?"

The mighty Night Fury didn't seem to be as mighty as before. He lay on his side, wings folded before him.

"Oh, Toothless..." She gasped into her hands, as though in a vain attempt to pray. She let her tears spill unchecked as she noted that Hiccup was nowhere to be seen. Soft footsteps were behind her, which she realized was the army mournfully standing a few yards behind her for support.

"Oh, no, _oh no_..."

Toothless closed his eyes. She feared for a moment that he was passing away, but instead he unfurled his massive midnight wings. Held within was the limp body of -  
"Oh, _Hiccup..._" She pulled him close and brushed the hair away from his face. He had several cuts and bruises, but there was one gash an inch beneath his eye that was dripping crimson blood. Stoik was behind her, setting a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she could hear him sniffing.

She knew this was it. She didn't want it to end like this... She reluctantly kissed his lips tenderly before another shuddering sob overtook her.

Her face was dry now. The tears she had let fall were all she had left within her, and now she let her head fall to Hiccup's chest in defeat. His warm, comforting chest... _Wait...what...? _She pressed her ear against the left side of his chest.

"Oh _gods_, he's alive! Hiccup's alive!"

The crowd behind her began cheering. Astrid sighed with relief and breathed again. She was gasping for air, pulling in the cool breeze to calm her shaking limbs. Reluctantly, she stood up and handed Hiccup's limp body to Stoik and turned to thank Toothless. But a hand over her stomach revealed a gash she hadn't noticed, one that was staining the fabric of her shirt with blood.

That was the last she felt before the cheering became a muddled roar and the sandy bank rushed up to meet her.

_**Again, I just changed the storyline. Well, it was Astrid's point of view, I can't have her just standing around!**_

_**And, of course, I ask you once more for your lovely reviews, and I thank you for waiting this thing out. This has met a lot more success than my other stories have. Keep it up, oh devoted fans of AxH. :)**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Yes, here's your update. No, Astrid's not dead. And she gets to curse a little more.**_

_**So, enjoy, and sad to say, this is the second to last full chapter. Or third to last, as there is an epilogue. :D  
**_

"...the last time she ate? When's the last time she drank?" Someone was saying in a low voice.

"I dunno," Astrid heard Snotlout say. "She was missing the whole day. First she ran off into the forest and wasn't at breakfast, then she was at the arena for Hiccup's challenge. The rest I don't know."

"Thank you, son." She heard her father's deep voice.

"Mmmm...ow, son-of-a..." She moaned as she moved around in the bed she had been placed in. Her head was pounding and her muscles ached terribly. There was a terrible pain in her side that she wished would _just stop, dammit..._

"Shhh," A woman's voice quieted her. Cool water flowed into her mouth and soothed a burning throat she hadn't noticed. "There you go."

Slowly, she opened her eyes. She was in a large room, one that stretched away on either side. Curtains surrounded the little bed. She realized that she was in her own house, but that they had gotten a nurse to watch over her. She was a sweet, round woman, who was pouring water from a small pitcher into her open mouth.

Snotlout, Spitelout, and Magnus stood around her bed. "Father?" She blinked away her blurred vision and saw he had a large smile on his face.

"Yes, my dear, it's me." He took one of her hands and held it between both of his. He was comfortingly warm.

"Mmm, what happened?"

"You were in that epic fight with the Queen of Dragons!" Snotlout said excitedly. Comprehension dawned upon her.

"Oh, that's right, of course...but why am I here?"

"Poor child," The nurse said sweetly. "You lost blood. Do you remember what happened?"

She stared up at the ceiling and thought for a moment. _The rocks wouldn't have done that much damage...there was the fall, but I wasn't hurt...oh._

"The...the Queen of Dragons...snapped at us, one of the spikes grazed my side and hurt the dragon I rode..."

"Ahh, yes, that explains the scar on your left side." The nurse nodded. "And you have a gash across your stomach."

"She fell repeatedly on the rocks. The Queen was very close to crushing her," Spitelout said, gesturing to her.

"To think, _my_ daughter fought the Mother Dragon!" Magnus said gleefully.

Astrid smiled weakly. Snotlout and Spitelout excused themselves after Magnus thanked them, but not before Snotlout got a good look at her again. Spitelout caught him and smacked him upside the back of his head.

She looked down at her form through the thick blanket. She was completely undressed with no idea as to how she got that way or where her clothing had gone. Quickly, she gathered the blanket to her in an effort to make sure she was completely decent.

Someone with a deep, rumbling voice requested entrance to the little makeshift room.

"Are you decent, dear?" The nurse asked kindly.

"Oh, yes, as decent as I'll be."

The nurse smiled and called for the visitor to enter. Astrid drew the blanket up to her neck as the curtains opened and Stoik walked in. "It's good to see she's awake," He said to her father.

"Oh, yes, it truly is!" He nodded.

"Astrid, I came here to thank you personally." Stoik pulled something out of a pocket in his cape. "You conducted yourself with honor and bravery, something that we value highly in our Vikings. Your sacrifice saved this village and opened our eyes. I believe I speak for all of us here in Berk when I give you this."

He handed her the little package. Inside lay a sliver medal shaped into the graceful figure of a dragon, one of the oldest and most honorable medals a Viking could receive.

She smiled widely and thanked Stoik for the honor. Magnus smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "You don't know how proud I am," He said quietly.

"Thank you, Stoik," Astrid said in awe. She was only fifteen...it seemed impossible that a _girl_ of her age would receive a medal of honor.

"No, thank you. And thank you for helping my son."

"Really, it wasn't anything..."

He shook his head. "It meant everything. Maybe, when he is older, I will be lucky enough to call you daughter."

"Daughter?" She said in disbelief.

He gave a slight hint of a smile. "We'll see, Astrid."

**_Again, I would love your helpful hints. Maybe something to spice up the next chapter, hmm?_**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Here you are, the last and final chapter. It was fun while it lasted, but look out for other stories I'll be posting about the tragic/awesome events of the village of Berk. :D**_

A day had passed since she had received her medal of honor, which had only been a night after the battle with the Mother. She sat on a grassy hill overlooking Berk next to Gunnvor, her Nadder. It was quite an interesting tale of how Gunnvor came to be her friend. During the battle of the Queen of Dragons, as the village now calls it, she was blasted off of her mount when Hiccup and Toothless had swooped in for the save. She hadn't seen the Nadder again until he came flying through the mist a day after the historic battle, just after she'd been allowed to leave her house. She knew it was him; he had a line of damaged scales on his left side, a wound he had received whilst she was still astride him. After that, they never really parted much. He turned out to be a charming creature with a good, almost human heart. He was also quite the fierce fighter.

And she wasn't the only one with a dragon companion. The whole village had now befriended dragonkind, and many had gone as far as the teens and learned how to ride them. Her father, for instance, had met great success with befriending a Nightmare.

"Lovely day, hmm?" She said sweetly to her new friend. He turned his large head towards her and seemed to smile, his way of saying "yes."

Astrid smiled and tossed a fish she had caught from the stream up high. Gunnvor sat back on his haunches and caught the fish deftly in his mouth. She giggled and scratched him affectionately behind his jaw.

She sighed and lay back. The sun was warmer that day, the last it would be before winter. But she couldn't fully enjoy it; Hiccup was still asleep in the Haddock house. He had been ever since the battle of the Queen of Dragons.

_Astrid Ingrid Mohrgun Haddock...Astrid Haddock...Hiccup and Astrid Haddock..._

What she wouldn't give to feel him lying next to her, here, on this glorious day.

A group began to form in the village, just outside Stoik's home. She sat upright as she saw Stoik lead someone out into the square. A bright smile graced her face.

"I'll be back soon, wait for me!" She told Gunnvor, giving him another scratch. Quickly, she dashed away and into the village.

Hiccup was now awake, but he seemed to have a little trouble walking. With a pang she noticed the lower half of his left leg was missing, a prosthetic in it's place. She'd heard he'd been wounded, but she didn't know his _leg_ was missing...

"...with a little Hiccup flair thrown in!" Gobber was saying as she approached them, gesturing to Hiccup's new leg. "Do you think it'll do?"

"Eh, I might make a few tweaks," Hiccup shrugged to the amusement of the men around him.

She pushed gently through the crowd until she was next to him. _Lord, did I miss him..._As was her way, she punched him on the arm. He cried out and backed off a few paces. "_That_ was for scaring me," She explained.

"Wh – is it always gonna be this way?" He said, getting flustered. She thought it was the most _adorable_ thing when his cheeks went that particular shade of red. "'Cause - "

She sighed and grabbed him by the shirtfront, pulling him in for a deep, slow kiss. She rejoiced inside at her chance to finally do this, and she had good reason: his lips were soft but firm, succumbing to the kiss after he realized what was happening. Something stirred within her as she felt, rather than heard, a soft moan deep within his throat. _Mmmm..._

A few members of their captive audience gasped, some whistled, others laughed or clapped. She let him go and stepped back.

"...I could get used to it..." He said meekly with a shrug. She loved the way his cheeks could flush even redder.

"So, are you ready to go?" She asked.

"What? Go? Go where?" He looked around.

She giggled. "I'll show you." After they had returned from the historic battle, Toothless had stood sentinel inside the house while Hiccup slept. She hadn't seen him leave, so she whistled shrilly to call him out.

"Night Fury!" Someone cried as Toothless bounded out of the house, scattering a few citizens in the search for his newly awakened friend.

Hiccup and Astrid laughed together. Gobber handed over a few other things that he had set aside for this moment; a recreated half of Toothless' missing tailwing (the one Hiccup had made had been burned in the battle), the handling rope, and the saddle and foot lever Hiccup used to control the prosthetic wing's angle.

As Hiccup happily walked off to set up the Night Fury's rig, Gobber elbowed Astrid in the side. "Here, this was ordered for you by Stoik." He handed her a heavy saddle for Gunnvor.

"Wow, this is beautiful!" She gasped. With one finger she traced the intricate designs embossed into the leather. Stoik saw her with it and winked. Gobber patted her shoulder. She thanked them both and jogged back toward where Gunnvor lay, basking in the glowing sun. As she approached, he rolled over and stood up, seeing the excited glint in her eye. "Ready?"

Gunnvor gave his equivalent of a nod and she strapped the saddle on, taking care not to rub the turquoise scales the wrong way. In five minutes it was ready to go. Lightly, she hopped on, tightened the handling rope, and with a nudge of her heel signaled for him to take off. Toothless took off two seconds later from the town square.

As they sped over the houses, Astrid smiled at the fact that she couldn't count the number of dragons lumbering about or sleeping on the roofs. With a fierce joy she realized that she had helped to do this, _she _had helped to bring all of this about.

She looked over at Toothless and Hiccup, remembering the fact that he had been in seclusion for about a month and yet seeing how much they had learned.

_What an interesting way to train your dragon..._


	17. Epilogue

_**Here's the epilogue! It was something I thought would be really cool with this story, seeing as how the last chapter's ending was ridiculously short.**_

"So remember, children," The elder said, concluding her story to the village's young children gathered around her, "The odds against you will never outweigh the spirit within you."

"That was a cool story!" Little Finna said beside her. The elder patted her head and nodded wisely. "Yes, a very good story indeed. Would you believe that I was around to witness the battle of the Queen of Dragons?"

"Woah!" Gunnar gasped. "Really? That must've been like...fifty years ago, at least! How cool was it? Were you in the army?"

The elder smiled and shook her head. "No, dear child, I was but a young girl, only fifteen. I was not allowed in the army."

The boy nodded sadly. The elder noticed his long face. "But," She added, "I _was_ in the battle."

All the children looked at her with their wide eyes. "But if you weren't in the army," Rolf quipped from the back of the group, "Then what were you doing there?"

She gave them a knowing grin and tapped her nose. "Why do you think I would tell you that story, of all stories?"

Rolf put a hand to his chin. Finna's brow creased in concentration.

An older man walked out of the house she sat in front of. He was regally dressed and leaned on his knotted walking stick. Every other step he took gave off a metal clank.

"Oh, hello Chief!" Ingrid piped from beside the elder. "She was just telling us the story of Hiccup and Astrid!"

The two older persons smiled lovingly at their spouse, a habit they had gained from their long marriage. None of the people younger than fifty in the village remembered either of their names; they went by their titles. The Chief set a gentle hand on his wife's cloaked shoulder.

"So, why _did _you tell us that story?" Finna asked.

The elder smiled once more. "Do any of you know my name?"

All of the children shook their heads in confusion.

She chuckled kindly. "Well, children, my name is _Astrid._"

_**Thank you guys for all your wonderful feedback! I will be posting more, as I don't necessarily plan on stopping my writing rampage that could very well destroy a small city. Write on, my fellow Fans!**_


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